Water beads... little balls of endless fun!
Originally made to control the water absorption for plants, now a popular activity for kids.
We bought a container of these things a while back. I'd scoop out a tablespoon, let them absorb the water and let the kids play with them. After doing this so many times and not making a dent in the container, I thought, we need to have MORE fun with these!
I thought, why not dump an entire container in the kids' pool?!?!
I thought... I could just scoop them out when we are done playing with them and let them shrivel back up... right? That didn't happen. But it was so much fun!
Watch our video here:
Here is an AWESOME water bead sensory and interactive kit:
What we got out of this activity:
We learned patience!
Waiting for the water beads to absorb the water may seem like an eternity to a kid but it will teach them a great lesson on patience. It takes a couple hours for the water beads to absorb the water fully.
My kids usually don't wait for the beads to fully expand before playing with them. But they know it takes time before they get bigger and they can have more fun with them.
How to hold our breath under water.
Because we put the water beads in the kids' pool, they were able to swim in them. Since we are currently teaching our kids to swim, this made practicing holding their breath more fun because they could see all the colors under the water.
Practiced colors.
The water beads come in a variety of colors which makes it a great activity for learning colors. This is also why I love the kit I mentioned above. It has great tools for getting the beads and colored cups to organize them.
You can also use a pop it to learn colors like we did. We used the pop it below. I like this one because it's not too big and it has all of the colors in rows.
Messy play
I think messy play is good for kids... especially outside!
It helps kids:
- Explore their imagination.
- Explore curiosity.
- Develop physical skills.
- Discover body awareness.
- Discover personal boundaries.
- Learn different textures and temperatures.
- With no limitations, it allows your child to explore in any way they desire.
Sensory play
Sensory play is important because:
- It helps to build nerve connections to the brain.
- Allows your child to practice their motor skills.
- It calms anxiousness.
- Helps your child learn how things feel and different temperatures.
Get outside
Getting outside is important for so many reasons! It's beneficial to your health and kids who go outside are said to be happier and less anxious. And... the more you are outside, the less you are messing up the house and all moms can appreciate that!
______
Join my Facebook Group: Fun & Learning for Kids
Follow me on Instagram: Fun.Learning.Kids
Xx Jeni
___________________
**ALL THINGS HOMESCHOOL PRESCHOOL**
Check out my PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM! This is where you get all of my unit studies, activities, tips, and more!!
FREEBIE: Preschool Curriculum Map!
Join my FACEBOOK GROUP!
Follow me on INSTAGRAM!
Check out my website for blogs and freebies!
All of the products on this page are products my kids and I use and love or products I personally recommend!
All of the opinions expressed here are my own. With that said, this page contains affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
0 Comments